Thursday, April 11, 2013

2013 Mets Prospect Report: Week 1 (4/4 - 4/10)

One of the more advanced arms in the Mets stable of young pitching prospects, the 22-year-old Montero breezed through his first two starts. His 15 strikeouts against 0 walks this week are an example of his exciting combination of stuff and control. The instinct is to be concerned about guys who spend as much time in the strike zone as Montero does, because against better hitters that can be dangerous. But here we are in AA, and Montero continues to live in the zone & miss bats and induce weak contact. It's not a problem until it's a problem, and right now, it's not a problem. As a signee from the 2010-11 international class, Montero has one more year of Rule 5 protection remaining, so there is no need on that front to rush him to the 40-man roster in 2013. Montero has been moved aggressively in his 2 years in the system, but he has met every challenge so far. Even so, I expect that he'll spend the first half of 2013 in AA regardless of how well he pitches this spring. He's also a guy I think is a strong candidate to be moved this summer or next offseason, should the Mets look to add a legitimate OF bat on the trade market.Age: 22Acquired: 2010-11 International PeriodSigning Bonus: $80,000MLB ETA: 2014

As a fairly polished 22-year-old catcher taken in the supplemental first round of last year's draft, you'd expect Plawecki to be able to handle low A ball. So it's reassuring that he's met and then exceeded those expectations in the first week of the young season. Plawecki's inclusion on the Savannah roster (as opposed to Advanced A St. Lucie) came as a bit of a surprise. But from a fan's perspective, since the acquisition of top prospect Travis d'Arnaud this winter, it's less pressing to push Plawecki through the system. Regardless of d'Arnaud's presence in the organization, being able to develop multiple catching prospects that project to be Major Leaguers would be a boon to any system. If Plawecki continues to rake in Savannah, he could be one of the first guys to earn a promotion to the next level this year. But judging by the recent past, it's unlikely to happen before the calendar turns June.Age: 22Acquired: 2012 Draft (Round 1s, Overall Pick 35)Signing Bonus: $1,400,000MLB ETA: 2016; 2015 at the earliest